Fragile
by Lolly Dream
Summary: Sanji learns how life is a ‘Fragile’ thing. ZoroxSanji Nakamaship Oneshot


**Title:** Fragile

**Rating:** T

**Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece nor do I make any money from this.

**Pairings:** SanjixZoro kinda …maybe if you like squint at it xD But its kinda more Nakamaship then anything cause friendship is important too. ^.^

**Summary:** Sanji learns how life is a 'Fragile' thing.

**Warnings:** First time at a oneshot, bad spelling & grammar, language, death, sadness.

**A/N's:** For anyone that does not like my warnings don't read I guess …it's not like am not forcing you to. More notes to the bottom. Hope ya enjoy the story. ^.^

The Mugiwara crew was once again docked at some island and everyone was currently off making last preparations be it shopping or sight seeing before the ship was due to pull out a little after noon to hit the seas once more. Sanji had taken the opportunity to check out some more stores and get some more spices he was now looking forward to try out as well stopping for a bit of lunch which he was eating on the way back to the ship. With his shopping bag hanging from one of his arms his hands busied them selves with his lunch one holding the small paper tray that held tempura, (deep fried shrimp and vegetables) and sauce in a side dish on the tray, as the other used chopsticks to carry the food to his mouth. He had purposely sought out the little stand that made it having herd it was the best in the town. With such accusations the cook felt it his duty to check it out. Sadly he had, had better but there where a few unique differences in the sauce they served with it that made his mind race with different ideas to try on his own style of the dish. As well the food was not bad it was fairly good and he would not let it go to waste.

Sanji moved down along a busy street on the way back to the docks when a loud crash caught his attention and he paused to look down the alleyway from where the noise came from. A cook with a broom was swatting at an over grown rat from some backdoor trash cans. "Filth shoow!" yelled the man and swatted the dirty ball again this time hard enough that it crashed down onto the ground in a heap. After the cook then secured the trash cans with lids he went back in threw a backdoor of the restaurant he had came from. The small dirty ball of fur then started to move and weakly and got onto all fours and mewed out pathetically. As Sanji stood there at the mouth of the alleyway he realized it was not a rat but a kitten. As the little thing turned and looked at him he could not help but feel bad for it. It was so dirty he could only think it brown in color. As well Sanji could only guess something worse had happened then the attack it just now got due to the poor thing's left eye was all scared over leaving a mass clump of scab and no eye to be seen.

It was so young and already having such a shitty start in life Sanji could not help but think. He then took a few steps into the alleyway and the kitten started to look like it might bolt. Slowly Sanji squatted down and held out the food he had. "Come here shitty kitten." He called and at once the animal rushed over as if answering Sanji's call though he was pretty sure it had nothing to do with that and everything to do with the lure of food. At once the kitten started to gobble down the food Sanji had sat down and Sanji smiled watching it. Yet what really got him smiling was when the little kitten started to purr making it sound as if the little thing was saying 'yum yum' as it ate. Sanji's smile only grew and he titled his head to the side, "Its good right?" He asked the kitten and the kitten in reply made that same odd sound again, 'yum yum' this got Sanji laughing, "Of course it is."

Maybe with a full stomach the little thing's luck will change Sanji hoped and stood up as the kitten was almost done. He waved a hand goodbye as it looked up at him. "Take care shitty kitten." He turned around pulling out a cigarette and lighted it then started back on his way back to the Thousand Sunny. As he did he never notice being followed as he weaved through the crowds of people as that dirty little fuff ball ran after him as fast as it could to try and keep up with long legs, following Sanji all the way home to the ship.

Sanji boarded the ship and the kitten followed even as he headed for his kitchen cutting across the lawn where the swordsman was laying who now greeted him…kinda.

"What the hell is that?" Zoro asked with a frown sitting up.

Sanji stopped in annoyance and raised a curly brow to the man. If this was some crude joke of the bastard's …Sanji thought but replied. "What's what?"

"That." Zoro then pointed down by Sanji's feet.

Sanji looked down at his feet as the kitten started up at him.

"Ah… crap…the shitty kitten followed me back. Heh guess that will teach me to feed strays." Sanji nudged it with a foot ever so gently in the direction of the ramp. "Go on, go away shitty kitten."

The little kitten fell over as it was nudged and held onto the well polished black shoe with its to front paws and mewed sadly up to Sanji.

Sanji stared down at the little thing there now under his shoe like as if he was about to step on it and frowned his teeth clenching his cigarette butt. Sanji shook his foot a little but the kitten still didn't let go. The cook then lifted his leg up with it curled at the knee and the kitten still didn't let go. "Oi shitty kitten let go." He frowned but it just held on and mewed sadly again. With a sigh and exhale of smoke Sanji shrugged, "It can't be helped then." He reached out grabbing the kitten by the scruff of the neck and started this time towards the bathroom.

Zoro snorted, "Going soft ero-cook."

"Tch am just going to teach this little furball it does not want to stay here." was Sanji's reply.

Sanji had thought a bath would kill two birds with one stone as they say. Sure enough the kitten didn't seem to enjoy the bath but it as well didn't put up a fuss about being scrubbed clean just mewled out sadly making Sanji kinda feel guilty. After drying it with a towel Sanji then used his hairdryer to finish drying it to which his amusement made the now pure white kitten's fur puffy up. "Ha-ha! Now you look like a shitty snowball." He teased. Sanji then took the time and tender care to brush the kitten's fur out and it seemed to ease some of the soft fur down it also got the little kitten purring again but there was no 'yum yum' sounds this time. Sanji wondered if he again fed the shitty kitten it would do it again.

A knock came to the bathroom door. "Sanji-kun is someone else in there with you?" came the voice of Nami.

Sanji blushed. "Huh N-Nami-swan it's not what you think honest!" He paled then quickly opened the door to show her the kitten.

She blinked as the door flew open and then looked to the kitten then back to Sanji. "Huh Sanji-kun what are you doing with that?"

"It followed me back." Sanji pouted having hoped that Nami would have swoon over the little fluffball. Now that it was all cleaned up it was rather cute. Not that he would say it out loud of course.

"But we already left the harbor half an hour ago. Are you planning to keep it?" Nami sounded puzzled.

"Shit." Sanji swore and looked down to the kitten who was looking up at him. "Erm well I guess I am now till we dock in the next town. I will find a good home for it then." Sanji smiled.

Nami looked between Sanji and the kitten and smiled. It didn't seem like to her that Sanji would give the kitten away so easily.

So the rest of the crew then got to know the newest 'temporary' member of the crew when Sanji came back on deck. Chopper then had whisked it away declaring it needed a full examination. Sanji didn't mind and took the time to head into the kitchen to put his new spices away. After which he started on another amazing elaborate dinner for his crewmates.

As he was in the middle of making dinner the kitchen door was thrown open and in came Usopp, Chopper, and there captain Luffy who held the kitten up to show Sanji. "Check out what Usopp made Mr. Snowball." He said happily. And there on the kitten's face to its left side was a black eye patch with a skillfully drawn pirate mark of the Mugiwara's just like there flag just mini sized. It was rather cute and Sanji again found himself smiling at the little ball of fur then something seemed to sink in and he jerked his head up to look at Luffy. "You named it? We are only keeping this thing till the next town Luffy." The cook frowned. Names would lead people to get attached to it then he would have a hell of a time getting rid of it and a pirate ship was no place for a kitten.

Luffy laughed, "Nahh Nami said you did. She said she herd you calling it snowball in the bathroom."

Sanji blushed. "It was the first time I saw it clean is all and it was all puffy…and… gaw! Get out of my kitchen you bastards am trying to make dinner" Sanji yelled.

The little kitten then mewled out sadly and Chopper busted into laughter. Everyone looked at the doctor in confusion till he explained. "The kitten called Sanji mommy!" This got the other two busting into laughter. The only one not laughing was Sanji.

"OUT!" Sanji yelled and used the wooden spoon in his hand to point to the door. The three with the kitten ran out still laughing then a few moments later Sanji herd Usopp's loud voice calling to the whole crew telling them the kitten had called Sanji mommy. "Bastard long nose." Sanji grumbled as he went on to work on dinner.

Soon enough dinner time came rolling around and every one was enjoying the meal not even the swordsman could find reason to complain. Sanji ate at the counter where he as well had set up a little food and water dish for the kitten and so even the shitty kitten ate dinner with them and sure enough Sanji found the kitten doing that odd little purr 'yum yum' noise again. Sanji got the others to be quite for a minute so everyone could hear the kitten and they all got a real kick out of it bring much laughter to the kitchen.

After dinner Sanji was at the sink doing dishes as the swordsman dried when suddenly the cook felt something at his leg. Sanji paused in action and looked down to see the kitten scaling his leg. "Oi! Shitty kitten what do you think I am a tree? You want green leaves try the marimo." Sanji told the kitten as it gripped to his leg trying to climb up all the more.

Zoro snickered till he was brought into it. "Oi!"

Sanji spared a moments glace to flash a smirk at the swordsman before looking back down to the kitten still climbing him. "Come on cut it out you shitty kitten." and he then shook his leg which did no good. A sign came from the cook as he lifted his leg and pulled the kitten off it by the scruff of the neck and sat the kitten on his shoulder but warned. "You try to go any higher then that and I will dunk you in this dish water you got it shitty kitten?"

Sanji was answered back by a mew and a nuzzle to his neck as the kitten lay his back paws to Sanji's shoulder blade and its front over Sanji's shoulders to keep its self from falling.

Sanji pulled out a cigarette and lit it only then to turn to the swordsman and question, "What?"

"Nothing." Smiled the swordsman looking back to the dish in his hand and dried it.

Sanji got back to work as well. Soon the only sounds where of the dishes being cleaned, the kitten purring in Sanji's ear and of course Zoro's name for every dish the cook handed the swordsman.

When bedtime came around Sanji had put the shitty kitten in the box Franky had made for it but as all the male members of the crew lay in there hammocks they where kept awake by the mewling of the kitten.

"Oi love-cook shut that thing up already!" called out the swordsman.

"And what am I sups to do gag it?" Sanji questioned in anger.

Giggling Chopper then spoke up, "It wants its mommy."

This got all but Sanji in the room laughing. With a huff of irritation and embarrassment the cook swung his legs down from his hammock and got up retrieving the shitty kitten from its box. Then he with kitten in tow came back to his hammock and laid down again letting the thing rest on his chest. The kitten curled its self up and then went to sleep softly purring. Sanji glared at it for a moment in the dark. Spoiled little shitty brat but at lest it was quite now he thought. Sanji raised a hand up and let his fingers run threw the soft fur and the kitten in its sleep nuzzled into his hand. Sanji again found himself smiling at the furball. It could be worse mused the cook in his thoughts as he left his hand on the kitten and then drifted off to sleep himself.

The next morning brought the tricky task of cooking with furball under foot. "Dammit you shitty kitten." yelled the cook for the tenth time that morning as he tripped over the walking ball of fur again. The cook then put a bit of mashed fish in a bowl and set it down. "Now stay out of my way shitty kitten." Sanji ordered but only got the purring rubbings of 'yum yum' as reply. The cook sighed and lit up a cigarette. It was hard to stay mad at something like that.

The crew then poured in for the morning meal and afterwards the kitten was taken away to be played with as Sanji was left with clean up. The rest of the week went on much like this. Soon though the cook would find himself starting to miss the little kitten when he was not hanging around the kitchen. Not that he was getting attached to the thing or anything. It was just nice to be able to talk to someone while he cooked. Yeah…that was it.

Around the tenth day Sanji found himself outside glaring at the shitty kitten again as he scooped its waste up with some tissue from the lawn as his Nami-san asked him to do. The cook huffed and went over to the railing tossing it over wishing he could just do so with the kitten itself. It had a damn litter box Franky and Usopp made it why the hell could it not use the damn thing! Sanji turned back around and glared all the more as the shitty kitten was now playing with that shitty swordsman. The green haired bastard actually looked like he was having fun too with that careless smile on his face as his hand came down again like a claw to gently attack the shitty kitten. The kitten would hold to the swordsman's hand with its front paws and chew softly at his finger tips and kick at the man's arm with its back feet bucking wildly at times.

Suddenly Zoro laughed out. "Hey ero-cook he kicks just about as hard as you do."

Sanji blinked and he knew the swordsman had meant that as an insult to him but Sanji only smiled. The kitten was a lot like him in ways. Maybe it's why he found he was so annoyed by it yet liked having it around so much.

The cook took out a cigarette and lit it taking a puff before he looked, turned his one visible eye to Zoro and smirked. "So that's your accuse for getting beaten by a shitty kitten?" He teased and headed for the kitchen as he herd Zoro call out in annoyance, "Oi!"

A few days later Sanji found himself in the kitchen thinking on what his lovely Nami-san had told him earlier that morning at breakfast with the others. They would be coming to an island in a day or two. That would mean Sanji might have to give the shitty kitten away if there was a town. As much as Sanji wanted to visit a town and the many shops it always offered not to mention the girls he didn't want to see the shitty kitten go now. There was the chance the island would not be inhabited but sooner or later they would come to one that was. Sanji sighed heavily; this was stupid he told himself. It's just a shitty kitten it didn't mean anything to him he reaffirmed. As soon as he got rid of it then things around the ship could go back to normal….well as normal as they ever got on this ship and he would be just fine. The sooner the shitty kitten gone the better he nodded and went back to work.

Later that day as Sanji was in the middle of making lunch when Usopp came running into his kitchen in a panic with tears. Startled Sanji gave the man his attention wondering if maybe they where being attacked.

"Sanji-kun! Mr. Snowball had an accident and …" Usoop didn't get anymore out as Sanji rushed past the long nose man and out the door. He was about to rush down the stairs but found them blocked at the bottom with his crewmates gathered around in a circle around something. They all either had frowns or tears in there eyes.

Robin was the first to notice him. "Cook-san…" she said softly looking up at him with a pained expression on her lovely face he was not use to seeing nor never wished to be.

The others looked up at Sanji and Chopper busted out in loud sobs. "Sanji Mr. Snowball fell down the stairs!" cried on the little reindeer.

Sanji blinked. Fell down the stairs? "Well that's ok…you can fix him right?" Sanji questioned. Falling down the stairs was not so bad he had done so many times when he was younger.

Chopper now wailed out in sobs at the question and Nami put her arms around the little doctor to try and ease his pain.

"Cook-bro he snapped his neck on the way down the stairs ... he is …." Franky was then at his limits and could not go on as he turned his head to his arm and bawled into it.

"He is dead." Zoro finished and said what no one else seemed to be able to nor want to say. His voice held an eerie tone Sanji just could not place but as well was too confused to give much thought to it.

The shitty kitten was dead? He had fallen down some stairs and snapped his neck and died. Sanji blinked just standing there then numbly he eased himself down to sit on the stairs and pulled out a cigarette and lit it up.

The others where now talking saying stuff and rushing about but Sanji could not focus on any of that. He knew Usopp had touched his shoulder as he passed him on the stairs but that was about it. The shitty kitten had fallen down the stairs and snapped his neck and died.

As the others rushed to do some things it cleared the line of sight and Sanji's one visible blue eye widen as he looked down at the small lifeless body there at the end of the stairs. The shitty kitten was laying on his side curled up on himself. He looked just like he was sleeping. He looked like any moment now he would get up and start mewling out annoyingly to get Sanji's attention.

The shitty kitten had fallen down the stairs and snapped his neck and was dead.

He looked so small there laying by peoples knees. He was only a kitten after all. Who knew how large he would get…no he would not get any larger then that.

The shitty kitten had fallen down the stairs and snapped his neck and was dead.

Sanji no matter how many times he thought it could not wrap his mind around it to make it understand.

The crew later that night gave a fine sea farewell to the kitten. Nami had sewed up a sea sack for the kitten and Franky and Usopp had made a fine mini boat raft for the kitten. They had lunched the kitten out to sea then on the little boat and sewn in his sea sack. Usopp using his sling-shot to sent a light fireball at it to catch the mini ship on fire as Brook played some music on his violin. Sanji thought someone had said some words for the kitten but he could not be sure. His mind could only seem to focus on the flames as they took the remains of the kitten then gave the rest of what it did not want to the sea as the mini ship slowly sank into the waters.

Sanji made a much more elaborate dinner then normal that night to everyone's surprise. The cook had done it for two reasons. First to make up for the burnt lunch he severed earlier that no one complained about and second to keep his mind busy so he did not have to think about anything else.

"Sanji-kun?" Nami asked with worry as she looked up from meal at him.

Sanji looked up from what he was doing at the counter; "Yes Nami-sawn is there something you need me to get for you?" he smiled to his beauty.

More of worry crossed her face in a soft frown and now everyone was looking at him with worry.

Sanji blinked not sure why everyone was looking at him like this so looked down at himself and realized now why everyone was looking at him so oddly. There in his hand was the shitty kitten's water and food dish. No there would be no point in these anymore. The shitty kitten had fallen down the stairs and snapped his neck and was dead.

Dead. The word hit Sanji hard. No food needed, no sleep needed, no nothing needed. The shitty kitten was dead and now resting at the bottom of the sea. Sanji felt his eyes burn and he quickly set down the food dish. "Excuse me." he mumbled as he hurried out of the kitchen and ran once out the door.

Sanji found himself at the back of the ship moments later. His hands gripping the railing hard turning his knuckles white as he leaned down on his hands and cried. He had been thinking of getting rid of the shitty kitten just that morning. It was just a kitten why did it matter so much?! But it did. "Baka it was just stairs!" growled out the cook threw his tears.

After awhile of just crying he realized he was not alone anymore. He didn't know how long the man had been there but he knew he was there now.

Zoro walked up to Sanji's side once he was noticed and didn't look at him even when Sanji stole a glace at him. The swordsman just kept his eyes to the dark waters.

Sanji scowled. Great he had been crying like a baby and now here comes Zoro to make fun of him. Yet he had not said anything and he must have been watching Sanji for some time before he moved to his side. Bastard was probably waiting it out to prolong it and relish it all.

"You know a person once told me, humans are really fragile beings." Zoro said surprising Sanji when he spoke and it was not an insult or mockery. "I guess that could go for animals too." The swordsman went on.

"It was just stairs …" Sanji muttered not really sure why he was talking to Zoro about this but it now at lest didn't seem like he was going to get made fun of so that was something.

Zoro nodded. "Yeah it was just stairs. Ones you can walk down every day and not think twice about it. Yet that's where the line with life is. Its fragile with one wrong step it can be gone."

With the back of his hand Sanji tried to dry his eyes. "It's stupid…death." he knew he sounded childishly but he could not help it.

"Its only stupid baka cause you don't understand it. Still I don't think death is meant to be understood just felt. Feeling it you can know the value of life." Zoro pointed out.

It made sense but the cook didn't feel like agreeing right now. It still hurt. Instead he asked, "The value is fragile?"

"No baka-cook. Its more abundant then one person, especial a love-cook can comprehend. Cause of the weight of it is so much to bare it sits on a line that is fragile."

Sanji huffed and took out a cigarette lighting as he thought about that. He had been upset not that the kitten was gone but how it had gone. If he had just walked on and not fed it in that alleyway or tossed it off the ship as soon as he noticed it. Would it be still alive or had he bought the kitten a few extra days of life? Zoro had said life was fragile one wrong step and its gone there had clearly been a wrong step but who's step had it been? Sure it had been the kitten to make the mistake on the stairs …"If I hadn't …" as soon was Sanji started he was cut off.

"If I had not challenged a friend long ago maybe the next day she would have not been heading down some stairs to get a sharpening stone for her katana and fallen down them and died." Zoro said in a clam tone.

Sanji opened his mouth to say something but as he looked at the swordsman he just closed his mouth and thought better on the next words before he spoke. "Life is fragile."

The swordsman nodded and then two of them stood there like that for some time looking out at the water.

Everyone was probably done with dinner by now Sanji thought and flicked his spent cigarette off into the water. He could wait to do the dishes tomorrow but he didn't want to go to bed or be alone just yet. "Am going to warm some sake….care to join me?" He offered the swordsman.

Zoro looked at him for a moment as if studding him before he answered with a shrug, "Sure."

The cook with the swordsman then headed off to the kitchen.

**A/N;** The kitten's actions where based all on kittens I have owned in the past. I always get the weird ones xD Well all but the stairs though, I just used that to tie in with Zoro. So yeah this is my first try at a oneshot I might have made it a little long sorry. I had tried to make a humorish one but am still working on that and got frustrated with it when this little plot came bursting forth into my mind. Eh I will keep working at the humor stuff. Humm anything else I want to say?....huh… before buying a pet at some pet shop or such thing check your local animal shelters and ASPCA as many unwanted animals are put down every day due to no one wanting them and many other awful reasons that a good home could have cured. Woot! This has been a Chopper approved message! xD Yeah ok there is my good deed of the week.


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